On Thursday May 2nd, 2019 Seattle Meditation Center, Washington, USA held a Meditation class for locals. There was a total of 13 people who joined the class. The program started with drinking warm tea and listening to Dharma talk about the importance and benefits of meditation in our daily life. Before meditation, the teaching monk suggested the basic of Middle Way meditation to the new comers. Then, he led us to meditate for 40 minutes and ended with sharing loving kindness. Everyone meditated happily and peacefully.
After meditation, some participants had a chance to share their experiences. All of them enjoyed the class and had good experiences. Then the teaching monk suggested some tips for improvement. Before the end of the class, the teacher not only reminded everyone to keep meditating every day, he also showed a video clip of how it can benefit us when we know how to control our mind.
The video was about not to keep junk in your mind. There was a taxi driver who nearly hit another car. The driver of the other car then got out of the car and shouted at the taxi driver. The taxi driver responded with waving his hand and smiling at him. That stopped the possibility of a conflict or a fight. The taxi driver told his customer in his car that unpleasant emotion is like junk and don’t keep junk in your mind but to let them go. If you keep them, your life will be full of bad things and will be drawing suffering to you. On the other hand, if you are optimistic and have positive thinking, good things will come to you.
Everyone was thankful to the teaching monk for the good stories that we can keep in mind and apply it in our daily life.
Before going home, participants offered donations to Seattle Meditation Center and received the blessing from the teaching monk. Everyone enjoyed and went home happily.
